HEAR... SHAMA




My boss always teases me whenever Urhobo (our native dialect) is spoken to me, and I respond with, "I don't hear Urhobo." Oga would be like, "Are you deaf? Is it that you can't hear Urhobo, or you just don't understand it?"

Well, he's right. Anybody can hear Urhobo. In fact, as long as a person is not deaf, they have the ability to hear any language, though they may lack the ability to comprehend or fathom what is being communicated.

Looking at it from another perspective—the Jewish one, comprehension and hearing are considered the same. The Hebrew word shama means "to listen," "to hear," "to understand," and "to obey."

Since there aren't two separate words for "hearing" and "understanding" in Hebrew, to have heard or listened implies that you understand and are expected to obey. Without this, you have not truly shama.

Dearest reader, do you realize now how wide the gap between languages can be?

In Nigeria, it is forgivable to hear without understanding or obeying.
In Jewish culture, they all go together.

POV: Me using my love for Hebrew as a means to justify my misuse of English, only to realize I wasn’t wrong all along.

So, the next time I say I can’t hear Urhobo, please know that I mean it in the Hebrew way (lol).


#MerryNewYear



@favvy_Okwansđź–¤. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"NOT ADMITTED"

Image
She clicks on the Whatsapp group chat,  Yet another "Congratulations, you've been admitted", with her heart heavy, she angrily leaves the group, minimize out of Whatsapp. There she is patiently waiting for chrome to load her admission status, this is the third time today she's logging into her jamb caps.  Her eyes almost eager with hope, she muttered under her breath, "God please" The network server makes matter worst by going sluggishly as she clickes "Regular admission status" she closes her eyes, hoping against hope, praying fervently, that this time it'd be different.  But it's not, because as she opens her eyes slowly, she's greeted with an arrogantly boldly written, "NOT ADMITTED", screaming at her. Suddenly the dam breaks.  Silently, tears begin to stream down her eyes, taking a rather familiar router via her chin.  The urge to throw her phone across the room intensifies, she wishes she could will her admission into exi...
Read more

TEAM WORK

Image
It can be quite frustrating when a collective effort results in only one person receiving all the praise. Even if my contribution is just 1%, it shouldn’t be overlooked. You never know how these small efforts can make a significant difference. My bubugaga is back from school, and today we did a lot of tidying up. It’s amazing how I suddenly find the energy to work when she's around, despite my usual laziness. After completing so much work, we took a break—we were honestly worn out. Fast forward to the end of the day: everyone applauded her for a job well done, as though it was solely her effort. It felt off because I felt I deserved some recognition too—it was teamwork, after all. So, the point is, you never know how hurtful it can be when someone's effort goes unacknowledged. No matter how small the contribution, appreciate it alongside the major ones. Dearest reader, do you find yourself annoyed like myself when your effort is overlooked in a team work?  @favvy_Ok...
Read more

LESS THAN ONE.

Image
There are days when my arms are too heavy to hold a pen, my brain too disorganized to put a sentence together, my thoughts an unending swirl of emotions. But then there are days—days when my smile can break through your screen, invade your life, and steal alongside your heart. Days when my excitement can be likened to that of a 2-year-old, where my inquisitiveness and curiosity know no bounds. Well, today is the latter. But like a poet I love once said, "Even if the light's turned on and my fears are not gone, I'll give it my best shot because the show must go on." So, I'd like to talk about something today: the idea of "LESS THAN ONE." But before we dive into this, allow me to tell you a story. ***** Once upon a time, I had a friend. You know that feeling of being friends with the girl every guy wants, so you get a lot of "Please help me talk to your friend"? In school, we had our lunch bought by different guys each day—one of the ...
Read more